What should you know before buying a bike?
10 Things to Avoid When Buying a New Bike
- Don’t Buy Without Taking a Test Ride.
- Don’t Test a Bike at a Shop, Then Buy Online.
- Don’t Visit Just One Shop or Ride Just One Bike.
- Don’t Settle on a Bike.
- Don’t Be Reluctant to Engage the Salesperson.
- Don’t Buy a Bike that Doesn’t Align with Your Riding Goals.
Is buying bike a good decision?
To buy a bike outright is good if you have the funds for it. Else, it is a good idea to go for a pre-approval for a bike loan. It makes sense as it helps you to fix a budget that you would need to stay within.
What to look for when buying a bike?
If you have a friend who is knowledgeable about cycling, or who has just been through the bike-buying process, ask them for advice. Don’t be afraid to ask basic questions, they’ll probably be only too happy to share their knowledge. Created with Sketch. We show you what makes up a groupset and what to look for when buying one.
What should I avoid when buying a bike?
Don’t buy a pure race bike, then complain because it’s uncomfortable on centuries, for example. Beware of any bike that needs significant modification to work for you—component swaps get expensive, and large fit adjustments (like adding a stack of headset spacers or a super-long stem) can change the character of the bike completely.
Can you test ride a bike at a bike shop?
Definitely test ride a bike at your local shop and bombard the salesperson with any questions you may have, but don’t use that knowledge to buy the same bike online for a few bucks less. That’s bad form. And whatever you do, don’t expect more free advice when you bring the bike you bought online into that same shop to fix a problem.
Is it easy to choose the right bike?
Choosing the right type of bike is not an easy task, but it can be done right if you know why you want to purchase a bicycle. If you are still unsure about this, take our advice and read about the steps below where we share the ins and outs of choosing the right type of bike for your needs. Let’s begin! Where do you plan to ride?
Do you have to buy a bike just because you like it?
Either way, it’s a win. If you don’t like the way a bike handles or looks, or it doesn’t fit quite right, don’t buy it just because you’re getting a great deal. You’ll likely own the bike for several years and spend plenty of hours on it, which means you should be really comfortable with the package you’re getting.
Don’t buy a pure race bike, then complain because it’s uncomfortable on centuries, for example. Beware of any bike that needs significant modification to work for you—component swaps get expensive, and large fit adjustments (like adding a stack of headset spacers or a super-long stem) can change the character of the bike completely.
Definitely test ride a bike at your local shop and bombard the salesperson with any questions you may have, but don’t use that knowledge to buy the same bike online for a few bucks less. That’s bad form. And whatever you do, don’t expect more free advice when you bring the bike you bought online into that same shop to fix a problem.
Is it good to look at bike listings?
Bicycles can bring a lot of emotion out of people, and listings often contain people’s pride and joy, so it is common to see lengthy and detailed descriptions – these are good and should inform you well as a buyer.